A plan to remove the protective Green Belt status from a field in South Oxhey has attracted cross- party opposition and a petition containing nearly 1,000 signatures.

Three Rivers District Council executive committee will meet on Monday to discuss whether or not to remove the "Educational Grazing Land" in Foxgrove Path from the Green Belt.

Conservative councillor Ty Harris and Labour councillors Marie-Louise Nolan and Paul Gordon, as well as residents Colin Viall and Nathan Aston have expressed their concerns over the plans.

This land is owned by the county council and has been leased to residents for 20 years as "Educational Grazing Land".

The site has had horses grazing on it for this time and was described by the plan's opposition as "a South Oxhey treasure for all to enjoy".

Mr Viall and Aston also submitted a petition of more than 650 signatures to the council, and has since collected another 100 names.

Mr Aston said: "From asking more than 750 local residents to sign the petition only two refused, 99.7 per cent of people want to keep this field as educational green belt grazing land.

"The council has not been clear or precise enough about this land and everyone that is asked does not the plans to remove it from the green belt to build on it."

Conservative councillor Ty Harris said: "I'd like us to investigate if we can enhance the educational aspect of this land and it would be good to see if the council could support this as a community project.

"I have liaised with some local schools and they say they would consider visiting the site and it would be excellent if we could introduce more animals."

There are also concerns over the way that the council publicised the proposed plans.

Labour councillor Marie-Louise Nolan said: "Three Rivers District Council clearly needs to review the way it communicates and consults with residents.

"When contacted, residents in Ashridge said they heard nothing from the Council about this proposed housing development and loss of green belt land.

"The council sends letters out to individual households about a proposed one metre extension to a neighbour’s porch, but why are proposals such as this one, buried amongst other plans and not immediately accessible and known to residents?"

Martin Trevett, portfolio holder for environment, said consultation of the site ended on the June 8 and the council was yet to make a decision on it.

He added: "The field to the rear of Heysham Drive is a potential housing site which was consulted on as part of several consultations dating back to 2009.

"It was shown as a potential housing site in the South Oxhey Initiative consultation, copies of which were delivered to every property in the Watford Rural Parish Area."